Rhythm of War: Book Four of the Stormlight Archive (The Stormlight Archive, 4)

8 reviews for Rhythm of War: Book Four of the Stormlight Archive (The Stormlight Archive, 4)

1. 

   Kindle Customer – August 12, 2025

   Amazing book that puts characer development before story
   I’m reading a lot of negativity around the lack of action in ROW. I think the type of reader you are might influence how you feel about it. This book is about character development through and through, and doesn’t really advance the story at all. Honestly the story is at the same place it was after SA3. But you know what, that’s ok by me because the character development was so incredible.Now even on the subject of character development I see lots of complaints. People are sick of Shallan dealing with mental illness, or Kaladin dealing with his father. If you want a standard fantasy trope of the “good guy” growing up and beating the “bad guy,” I’m not so sure this series is for you. The characters are painted in all sorts of grey shades and have a lot of negatives about them, just like you and me, it makes them feel so much more real. The struggles they go through has put a tear to my eye more than once, and I can’t say that about a lot of characters I’ve come across in any medium! Brandon’s attention to detail even extends to the “bad guys,” with some really good development and backstory of some, and even the main “bad guy” is painted in shades of grey and has a development arc.Otherwise the writing was superb, but again short on action. The biggest action was at the end, those few chapters were well worth the read, especially because that character development brought those characters so much closer to me. But I get it, on some level Brandon may be falling to the same sickness Robert Jordan had, that of writing books just to milk the series. But if that’s the case I really don’t care, because I know one day (like with WOT) I will have to say goodbye to these characters forever.If you like SA, especially if you love the characters, don’t hesitate to pick up this book. Just appreciate it for what it is, one long character development study with not much action or story progression.

2. 

   Bryan Desmond – August 12, 2025

   Life before death.
   Is it even possible to give these books less than five stars? Is it even allowed? Every time we are blessed with a new book in the Stormlight Archive, it becomes one of the best books I’ve ever read. Plain and simple. They’re just that fun. They reach those heights, that level of epic.A forewarning, this review will be unfettered praise.I somehow seem to forget just how much I love this series between installments. It’s only natural I suppose, to need to immerse yourself in something again to remember just how much it grips you, but still, I seem to forget. It’s just such a good story. Every little piece of it. The more we learn the more fun it is, and it is already a massive, interwoven, deliciously complex story. I can’t get enough. And so when a new installment appears, I am consumed. Not just in the story itself, but the universe of which it is part. The story, the Coppermind entries, the WoB, all of it. Consumed.Rhythm of War starts extremely strong. The one year time-jump makes catching up to the new norm a very fun experience. Our favorite characters are challenged in new and distinct ways: by forcing them to re-examine what it means to uphold their Oaths, by requiring them to face truths at the risk of losing the love around them, by pushing them to shed doubt in the face of danger, by challenging them to seek freedom when it would be so much easier to give up. In a series known for upping the ante with each new book, this installments still feels fresh; like an important piece of the puzzle, and a natural extension of the story. One gets the sense that Brandon knows exactly what he’s doing…And so I was enthralled. Having just finished it, I still am. There’s nothing like the last stretch of a Sanderson book. He may be the only author who leaves you with more questions than you had when you began, but I thank him for it. He takes you up to the highest highs, and let’s you ponder the future, marinating in the experience. His books are just so cool. And that sounds trite, but it’s really not. No other books make me sit back and think “Damn, that is so cool” as often as Sanderson’s. It’s just a fact. And no they aren’t literary masterworks or Pulitzer Prize winners, but the complaints that I used to see–hell, the complaints that I used to have–about his books are hard to apply these days. His skills have grown in noticeable and appreciated ways as things like character development and emotionally charged scenes become a major strong point in his work.I go on and on about Brandon’s worldbuilding, everyone does. But there’s a damn good reason for that. Because as much as he is growing in other areas, worldbuilding and plotting remain his major strengths. He builds the kinds of worlds that are so interesting you stay up thinking about one little piece of them when you should be sleeping. Roshar–and the greater cosmere in general–is an incredible place to visit, and one that grows more enticing by the page. It is science-fiction flavored fantasy in the same way that something like Dune is fantasy flavored science-fiction. And for someone like me, that’s a homerun.No review of this book could even come close to summarizing all my thoughts on it. Installments of the Stormlight Archive are massive, and each one is a lengthy experience. A lot runs through your head during a thousand pages; more than a thousand. Plus, to truly review this book I would need to delve into the most massive of massive spoilers. But I will say this…There is no doubt that the Stormlight Archive is Brandon’s best series; he admits this himself. ‘Magnum Opus’ may be the term thrown around down the line. As such, this is the series where he’s really starting to open things up, as far as the greater cosmere is concerned. It’s still on a small enough scale that you don’t have to have any idea what I’m talking about, but the connections are flowing. He is no longer being coy about the existence of other planets, and the ability to travel to and from said planets. It’s right there in the text, and it’s all starting to come out. So what that does is get readers who may have never read any of his books other than Stormlight really excited for the cool things they’ve yet to discover. And it also offers a hugely rewarding reading experience for those who have read the other cosmere books, as we piece things together and notice all the “hidden” gems. The balance Brandon has achieved in this is nothing short of remarkable.I won’t pretend his books are for everyone. Sometimes people want something more, and what’s more subjective than one’s reading material? But if you’re looking for a fun world to immerse yourself in, with a master storyteller at the helm, pick up a book by Brandon Sanderson. Maybe I’ll see you on the other end of the rabbit hole.

3. 

   Toby – August 12, 2025

   The best modern work of fantasy I’ve ever read
   Taking Tolkien out of the equation, as someone who read all of wheel of time and all of the current 5 game of thrones( my with a clash of kings in game of thrones ranking as my favorite), I understand this to be a bold claim.This book is a payout on the investment of the prior 3 books and reveals that no detail no character in the first 3 books was wasted. All of the characters, the events are leading up to something-an epic world, with a story worth re-reading.Warning, this book starts off slow. It took 300 to 400 pages for it to get going. When I arrived at the thought ” the pacing is too slow in this one”, the narrative takes off and doesn’t slow till the end.Brandon Sanderson does such a great job of writing characters as humans, addressing depression, trauma, and dementia in his characters in a human and compassionate way. He ties up almost every lose end in this book whole still keeping the reader invested in what happens next. This book made me consider rereading the first 3 because it points to how the events in the first book continues to have echoes in this expansive rich universe Brandon Sanderson has created.In fantasy, its a book that made me feel all of the emotions, exuberance, despair, sadness, and hope. There’s a scene in the book that made me tear up, something I never expected a book would make me do. He treats the characters with amazing tenderness and provides closure to many character arches..If you want action, complex characters, fantasy, and rich story telling, this book has it and this series is for you.

4. 

   Brian Breedlove – August 12, 2025

   This was an excellent addition to the Stormlight Archive, and I cannot wait for the next!

5. 

   Mr. Kemal Eginci – August 12, 2025

   If you are into Fantasy books, by default, you should read anything Brandon Sanderson writes. He is by far the most productive fantasy book author I’ve ever known so far and easily the best for me.There is a lot that I can tell you about this book as it is heavy in volume and rich in developments & revelations but let me tell you this; it is another solid addition to the flagship series of Sanderson’s with a lot more revelation to the magical powers and elements, and how they work in this world.The logic and the dynamics of powers becoming quite interesting and complex, so much so that I had difficulty following on occasions and had to re-read some sections. Author establishes a connection between the powers in this world and the art, mainly rhythms. As I said, it is very interesting, but I do think it is getting a bit complex.The book answers many unanswered questions related to what might have happened in the past. I found Venli’s story line especially very revealing, and it tells you all about how the night of the king Gavilar Kholin’s murder came about. In addition, the history of what happened previously in Roshar and a lot more to some of the mysterious characters and the world itself are revealed.The world building was full on in this book, maybe more so than some of the previous books which was good because it really captivates you more when you realize that there is a lot more to discover after three brick heavy books which are more like two books each themselves. There are little nuggets of knowledge as to Roshar being only one of the planets within the Cosmere where author’s all other books and series spreads.I think story lines that happened within the tower were more interesting and captivating compared to the others but overall, I enjoyed every aspect of the book very much. I would still put the first and second books ahead of this one, but it is definitely more enjoyable than the third book.There is a huge emphasis on the mental health of the characters, so much so that I thought author must have either studied the subject deeply or he has some sort of training or consultation. Perhaps he or someone close to him were going through similar life struggles at the time, and it had an impact on him. If you had any mental problems in the past, sadness or trauma, then you can be sure that what some of these characters going through (mainly Shallan and Kaladin over completely separate and unrelated story lines) will resonate with you. To be honest, I found it educating and it might really help you if you can connect with the struggles characters having, especially Kaladin.As always, the book has many twists and turns, some really surprising. Typically, as usual with Sanderson’s books, the tempo of the book increases to the end and there are much more happening through the end after all the plot building in the first 60-70% of the book.I don’t know what to feel about the big turn that happened in the book through the end which involved Taravangian but I guess we will see in the book 5!I really liked what happened with the one character we all thought died 😊 It was a really good send off. I love all books Sanderson writes and this was no exception.I think Stormlight Archives series becoming so good that it is on a similar level as Wheel of time (where Sanderson also had written the last 3 books) and I would not be surprised if it surpasses it.Knock! Knock! Amazon, maybe you will do a TV series for this one too!!

6. 

   Bozhidar Atanasov – August 12, 2025

   Came without damage and was well worth the read!

7. 

   Unexist – August 12, 2025

   Una delle migliori saghe fantasy di tutti i tempi.

8. 

   Michael – August 12, 2025

   It was a present for my family member and they rated it 5 out of 5